Woodworking
doesn’t look like the most glamorous work you can do at first, since it
requires a lot of effort, careful planning, and patience. But if you have the
knack for it, then it can be a very rewarding hobby.

Here
are a few reasons why you should start doing it:

They’re cheaper in the long run

Buying furniture is one way to get you quality that will last
a long time, but you don’t always find the right one that suits exactly what
you need. They can be hard to find and also get expensive quickly.

The best way to get quality furniture that’s perfect for your
home – and your tastes – is by making it yourself. This way, you have more
control over how you want

You can make repairs to existing
furniture

Do you notice any damages to your furniture? Deep scratches?
Chipped paint? What about wobbling and unstable chairs and tables? If so, then
you can take your DIY skills from your various home projects and put them to
good use!

Not only can you make them last for a longer time, but you can even make modifications to your existing furniture as you see fit.

It offers a lot of versatility

DIY woodworking not only lets you make and repair furniture,
but also gives you the tools to spruce up every area of your home the way you
want it. It also lets you do things on your own without having to call a
contractor for everything.

And because of its versatility, you can even branch out and pick
up on other skills, such as metalworking and home automation, other than just
woodworking.

You pick up a valuable skill set

Carpentry requires a lot of careful planning and execution,
especially when it comes to choosing the right materials and tools, so there’s
a good chance you won’t always get it right the first time.

And aside from the skills, you also have with you a set of quality tools you can use for all kinds of projects, and will last you a lifetime when you give them the proper care and maintenance.

The results are definitely worth it

At the end of the day, there’s nothing quite like seeing the
finished product and taking a moment to admire how gorgeous it looks.

From large home renovations to simple construction projects,
you’re guaranteed to be proud of the accomplishments over the things that you
spent a lot of time working over.

When
you’re spring cleaning or just doing a clean-up for your HDB flat, you may
realize at one point that you just have too much stuff that you have trouble
throwing away, whether it’s furniture that has been in your family forever or
something with sentimental value to you.

And
with HDB flats in Singapore getting even smaller, every square centimeter of
room now comes at a premium.

Fortunately,
maximizing breathing room for your small HDB flat doesn’t have to be too
stressful. Here are five amazing ideas for getting the most out of your limited
space:

1. Utilizing
under-the-bed storage

Adding hidden compartments for your bed let you store
practically anything you want while keeping the dust off of them at the same
time. And because it’s under your bed, it doesn’t have to be an eyesore!

Your under-the-bed compartment doesn’t even have to be strictly for storage – you can modify it to turn it into a sliding table for anything that suits your fancy.

2. The
bedside study table

If you’re having trouble looking for a study area but
your HDB flat can’t accommodate a desk for you to do so, you can turn your
bedside into a makeshift study area simply by adding a shelf or two.

This way, you can use your bed both as a chair for
studying, and as a bed if you want to take a break. Who knew studying could
feel so comfortable?

3. The
flip-out bed

Say goodbye to messy rooms and uncomfortable sleeping bags! This platform bed can work whether you love to have friends staying over or simply want a new way to save space by combining both your bed and your study table.

4. Wall-mounted
tables

Dining tables take up a lot of space when they’re not
used, so why not just bolt them to the walls?

By having a wall-mounted dining table instead of a
regular one, you can utilize more space in your dining area by simply tucking
it back, and your home will look a lot neater as a result.

5. Using
built-in storage walls

The best way to maximize space is by making it look
like you don’t have a lot of stuff, and you can do this by hiding it in the
walls.

While it may seem expensive at first, the end result
will definitely be worth it since you can store almost anything, from board
games, consoles, and even CDs for your home entertainment system.

The same goes for dedicated storage spaces in your HDB
flat: if you have a dedicated floor-to-ceiling area, you can disguise it by
using chalkboard paint on panels.

Tick
season typically occurs in the spring and summer seasons in other countries.
But for us here in Singapore, it is an all-year event. With warm weather, bugs
get a little excited to play—carrying nasty diseases with them. What are these
diseases? Let’s all find out.

Lyme Disease

This is a tick-borne disease caused by strains of Borrelia bacteria and
the most common illness carried by black-legged ticks. Remember: these ticks
thrive in deciduous forests, though populations are now spreading to more
urbanized areas. Symptoms often include fever accompanied by nausea and joint
and muscle pain.

Babesiosis

Also brought by black-legged ticks, this disease is caused by the parasite Babesia microti. The said parasite infects the body’s red blood cells, causing chills, headache, fever and fatigue. More complex cases can lead to anemia, jaundice and shortness of breath. How big is the tick that causes Babesiosis? A young tick is likened to the size of a poppyseed, an adult male tick is equivalent to the size of a sesame seed and a female tick can measure up to a flaxseed. After they fed with blood, they get even bigger.

Powassan

This illness is caused by tick-borne virus is extremely rare. Some people
infected by such disease do not show any symptom at all, while others
experience vomiting, fever, headache or even meningitis and brain inflammation.

Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis

This illness is caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum, which
is spread by ticks. It also attacks the white blood cells, which can eventually
lead to chills, fever, headache and muscle pains.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

This illness is one of the several illnesses caused by spotted fever group rickettsia, which is a type of bacteria. Most people who are infected with such disease experience rashes, headache and fever. If left untreated, the symptoms can be more severe and fatal for the infected person.

Where are ticks usually found?

Ticks
usually live outdoors and hide in grasses, shrubs and trees. if you are going
for a hike or whether just play outside, it’s possible to pick up a tick. Also,
tick can latch themselves to your pet and stay attached to them for a long
time, or migrate to you when you get in contact with your pet.

How to treat tick bites?

The
easiest and the most important thing to do when you spot a tick on you is to
remove it. you can do so by using a set of tweezers. Try not to twist or bend
the tick as you remove it, and check closely the bite site if you left the
tick’s head or its mouth parts. If so, make sure to remove it. Clean the spot
with soap and water. If you experience any symptoms mentioned above after the
bite, have yourself checked by a doctor.

When aiming to lose weight, there is no one solution to get
to your weight goal. A major component of healthy weight loss is a
well-balanced diet. Incorporating fruits to your diet is part of the ways for
quick weight loss, but which are the best fruits to aid fast weight loss? Let’s
all find out.

Bananas

Great source of vitamin B6 and C,
potassium, manganese, protein and folate. With all these nutrients, bananas are
surely helpful for your overall health and specific ailments, like headaches
and muscle cramps. More importantly, it is a great fat burner due to its high
fiber content while being low in calories.

Pineapple

Like bananas, pineapples are known to be rich in dietary fiber, aiding with your body’s digestion. Alongside it’s dietary benefits, the vitamins and nutrients in this fruit also helps with a variety of health conditions, like diabetes, asthma and heart disease. Pineapple also heals inflammation and improves infertility.

Lemon

This is probably the most versatile
weight-friendly fruit out there. Lemon offers impressive level of vitamin C
alongside smaller amounts of magnesium, calcium, folate, thiamin and
pantothenic acid. Other than alkalizing and detoxifying your body, this citrus
fruit is also known to prevent formation of kidney stones, enhance heart health
and clear up your complexion.

Pomegranate

Pomegranate is among the best fat
burners with an array of health benefits. The fruit is an antioxidant itself
and is rich in fiber, folate, flavonoids, vitamin K, phosphorus and
polyphenols. It has the potential to combat high blood pressure, oxidative
stress and helps with certain cancers.

Avocado

Avocados provide a substantial amount of healthy fats, which are known to be good for the heart. The same type of fat is also great for burning excess body fat. DO not let the misconception that fat is unhealthy fool you. The healthy type of fat is essential for effective weight loss.

Pears

This underrated fruit is a genius
when you want to lose weight fast. Packed with fiber, protein and vitamins C
and K, and smaller amounts of vitamin B-6, antioxidants and magnesium, pears
fight free radicals in the body, which help with digestion and detoxification.
Pears, which are made of 84 percent water, keeps body wastes soft for easier
flushing out of toxins from the body.

Strawberries

Low in calories and carbohydrates,
strawberries are among the most reliable fruit for weight loss that won’t spike
your sugar levels. These berries are good antioxidants and are also rich in fiber,
Vitamin C, flavonoids and potassium. While strawberries are potent for weight
loss purposes, they are also beneficial for your skin, cholesterol levels and
cardiovascular health.

With so many fruits readily available almost everywhere, you
have an array of foods that can provide your body with essential minerals,
vitamins and other nutrients for quick weight loss. However, your diet is just
one part of the story; regular exercise also plays a vital role for healthy
weight loss, too.

Ant-keeping is
slowly getting picked up as a hobby by more and more people in Singapore. And
if you want to try it for yourself, here are some very basic things to know.

Educate yourself first

Ant-keeping,
more than a hobby, can be considered a science. In Singapore, there are about
139 species/subspecies of ants. Having some knowledge on the common and rare
ones will definitely help you in your ant-keeping journey. Different species
also have distinct features, habits, individual needs, and living conditions,
and knowing these will help you make the appropriate actions for your ant farm.

Things you need

Test tube setup: the first habitat for the queen, where she lays eggs and grows the first workers.

Formicarium: basically the whole ant farm.

Outworld: a separate area where ants forage for food and dispose their waste.

The queen

The queen is
probably the most important element in starting a colony. You can buy one or
catch one yourself. Queens are also noticeably bigger than worker ants. You’ll
know if it’s a fertile queen if it’s a big one that doesn’t have wings.

Mistakes to avoid:

Catching only one or too many
queens.

For some, hunting and catching queens is one of the best parts about starting a colony. But, you should not let your excitement get the best of you and go on a hunting spree. Having 2-3 queen ants should be enough. Why not just catch one and get it over with, you ask? This is because there are chances that the one you catch might be unfertilized, so having one or two extra will not hurt.

Stress

To be able to
lay eggs peacefully, it’s an absolute must to leave her alone in a dark and
quiet environment. Many beginners make the mistake of checking on the queen
again and again, looking and shaking the test tube. Doing this puts the queen
under stress and cause her to stop laying eggs altogether.

Putting two species together

Ant species will always fight for their
territory and their queen. So if you introduce a different species to a
formicarium, the two will fight for the territory and kill each other.
Although, there are times that some species may live harmoniously with each
other, it’s still better not to risk it.

Little moisture

For larvae to
develop properly, a good amount of moisture is required. This is why there’s
water in the test tube setup. Also, your colony still needs water no matter how
many much they’ve grown in population. Therefore, you have to have small “wet”
areas in your formicarium to provide moisture.

The case of non-native ants

This is another
very important thing to know. Ants that are foreign to your area can be very
dangerous to the ecosystem if you release them or if they escape. They can push
out native species and even introduce mites and pathogens that the ecosystem
will not be able to handle.

It is said that there are three
ways to be remembered in this world: bear a child, write a book, and plant a
tree. Trees are all around us in Singapore, from parks, protected natural
areas, even on the roadsides. Simply speaking, trees are very important not
only for humans, but literally for everything around us. Besides saving the
Earth like our favorite Marvel treeman, Groot, here are some reasons why trees
are important for our lives.

They provide oxygen

Well, the most obvious importance
of trees is that it provides oxygen, the all-important element that we need to
live and breathe. Simple enough, but we often overlook it. Even just an acre of
mature trees will be enough to supply oxygen for hundreds of people in a year.

Fight against flood and pollution

Trees absorb pollutant fuels or
gases through their leaves and bark. They then convert theses pollutants back
to clean air. Trees are also significant deterrents to flood because they
absorb water naturally, never allowing places to clog with too much water.

Creates shade

Trees provide shade for people, animals, houses, cars, basically everything. Just imagine not finding a single shade under the scorching heat of the sun. Sitting beside a tree can also be a very nice way to relax, you get to feel the breeze without worrying about getting soaked in sunlight.

Reduce urban heat

In addition to creating shade,
trees also make the air cooler around urban areas. Part of what makes a place
hot and humid is when there’s only concrete and a noticeable absence of trees.
Trees are able to “cool air” because they can increase the atmosphere’s
moisture

Keep soil healthy

The mere presence of trees can help
against soil erosion. Tree roots help the soil in the ground stay firmly
together. This way, the soil is held in place when runoff (when excess
rainwater runs on Earth’s surface) happens.

Offers protection from storms

Some trees are strong enough to withstand heavy rains and strong winds. Trees can act as walls that can protect our houses when there are storms. There are instances when strong winds can carry objects which can (by chance) land and break our windows. Probably a least likely example, but you never know!

Shelter for wildlife

Trees provide excellent homes for
birds, bees, lizards, and other insects alike. Similar to us humans, trees can
provide shade for these animals, protection from natural weather, and a place
for them to stay.

Can provide food

One of the greatest benefits trees
give us is that they bear fruits that we can enjoy eating. Even the animals
that inhabit certain trees get to enjoy the fruit they bear. Nangka, chiku,
papaya, guava, and durian are only some of the many fruits we get from trees.

While a long set of whiskers and a full, bushy beard is often seen as a sign of masculinity, a clean shave is often a sign of good grooming habits, professionalism, and a specific eye for detail in the workplace.

In a busy office or corporate setting, the former is often more desired, which gives shaving a priority in a man’s life. There are many different kinds of razors to achieve this close shave, each of which have their own pros and cons.

Disposable Razors
Disposable razors should really only be used in the case of emergencies when there are no other alternatives. They’re only good for the first one or two shaves, and are meant to be disposed and not kept for longer use.

This is because their blades are made of flimsy steel and are permanently attached to the rest of the razor, which means that they can’t be replaced.

Cartridge Razors
Cartridge razors are the most popular razors to hit the market and for good reason – their razors consist of a flexible center that lets itself follow the shape of your face. These types of razors also have replaceable cartridges, which can contain up to six blades per cartridge.

However, cartridge razors also happen to be the some of the most expensive in terms of long-term costs. Even though the blades are replaceable, their costs can definitely take a mounting toll on your wallet.

Safety Razors
Safety razors used to be marketed as an alternative in shaving that prevents accidents, which is why they only have one edge. They often consist of a metal head and a permanent handle, with one razor blade with two sharp edges clamped tightly in the head.

While they are safe, they can take some time to get used to, as safety razors can give you different small nicks and cuts when if you’re not careful.

Straight Razors
Its sharp blade can give you the closest shave while at the same time being the most cost-effective option, and can even last you for the rest of your life provided that you strop and hone it regularly to keep its edge.

And because it’s so sharp, it can even cause you serious injuries if you’re not careful and/or skilled enough to use it.

Electric Razors
Every man who is a regular traveler or is constantly on-the-go can certainly use one of these because of the convenience they provide. They can last for as many uses as possible, and can be used even without shaving cream or a bathroom sink and mirror.

However, they can’t exactly give you that close shave and many men often complain of having irritated skin after using them.